New puppy advice please

[Inkblinkandmustard]

Hello, I'd really appreciate some advice. I've been internet searching but can't find a consensus

We are picking up our puppy next week. She is our first puppy, and is a king charles spaniel pug cross. She'll be 8 weeks. I'm not sure how it is best to do night times.

The two books I've read alternately suggest leaving where you want them to sleep, not responding to crying etc versus having the crate by my bed and gradually moving away.

The dog training lady we have coming was non-commital but seemed more keen on the crying technique, as did the breeder, but I'm not sure if this is unkind when they are so little.

Thanks in advance

[LEMmingaround]

I don't like leaving them. Where do you want her to sleep? Will she have a crate? Basket? My dogs sleep in my bed and for me thats fine. It doesn't work for everyone.

[WeAreGroot]

Plenty of people seem happy enough with leaving them to cry but it's not something I would ever do. To me it's a very big ask to expect a tiny puppy to go from being with mum and littermates to sleeping on their own overnight. I would always start with the puppy close to you until they get used to being somewhere new and then very gradually move them to wherever it is you want them to sleep in the long run.

One thing I would suggest with the cross you've gone for is to make sure you have very, very good insurance.

[Inkblinkandmustard]

Insurance advice gratefully received also. Have looked around and morethan seemed good, was going for lifetime insurance

[financialwizard]

Was my first night home inkblink with mine sorryourfamilypet and I crated her in my room. No way could I have left her downstairs on her own.

She is already snuggling up to me like I'm her Mum and my little girl.

She woke 4 times for the toilet and that was it, took her 30 minutes to stop whining the 4th time but I am hoping she will be better tonight because we only got home at 830pm last night.

[financialwizard]

I meant that she is already snuggling with my little girl. I think they will be inseparable.

[Inkblinkandmustard]

I'm glad you are all saying this, I don't think I could leave her. I'll have her in my room (if I can tear my 6 year old dd away from her!)

[LEMmingaround]

This is very important - we have to see pictures!

With regards insurance put her down as a cross breed and deffo life time insurance

[LadyTurmoil]

Pugs and Cavaliers have the tendency to serious health issues. Are you happy with the breeder? Are they just doing it for the money as I assume you'll be paying a fortune for this kind of "designer" cross.

Pugs can have serious breathing problems and Cavaliers (usually) have heart murmurs or suffer from Syringomyelia. To be honest, not a cross that anyone would recommend.

Think seriously about it - you may end up paying a fortune in pet insurance because of these issues - which any pet insurance company will know about and therefore hike the insurance premiums. You could put her down as a crossbreed (as suggested) but I wonder whether this will work if you did have to make a claim and her specific cross became known?

[Luxaroma]

Pup was crated and I moved my mattress downstairs to be with him for a week. Worked for us, as pup will not be allowed upstairs.

[dotdotdotmustdash]

A Pug crossed with a Cav sounds like it has the potential to be a medical disaster! do you really want to go there? Both dogs with short faces and prone to breathing issues. In some cases the eyeballs can be so protruding that they get dry, infected and can actually fall out. If you go ahead with getting this pup you want to know that both parents have had all the tests going as there are so many risks with such a cross!

Responsible Pug and Cav breeders are only breeding from dogs that are at the best end of the spectrum health wise, and only breeding within their own breed, not crossing them for the big bucks. Please, please do some research into buying a pup as you could end up with a situation you really don't want.

[Khalessi]

We've just got a pup too! She cried at night which I wouldn't ignore so one of us would sleep downstairs with her. A week later and she's quite happy in her crate with us upstairs.

[tammytwigg]

Same here kHalessi had pup 2 weeks came down after 15 mins the first 4 nights and slept on the sofa near him , then the 5th night no cries nothing and nothing since sleeps all night long ,I've been getting up and taking him out about 7 to do his business ,I think when they realise you are coming back they settle in love my little lhaso

[WeAreGroot]

Inkblinkandmustard Have either parent been health tested? The CKCS especially is absolutely riddled with health problems as a breed and it's hard enough to find decent breeders of pedigrees never mind people producing odd crosses. I'd be less concerned (though still want all possible health tests in place) if the breeder was outcrossing with the express purpose of improving the state of the breed but to cross a CKCS with an even more extremely brachycephalic breed (which has it's own list of potential genetic problems) is just madness.

Although this site is predominantly US based it's got a lot of great information about the various health problems that exist within the breed.

You can see a list of all health tests which should be in place here for pugs and here for CKCSs.

[VetNurse]

Sounds like a disaster of a cross. Both breeds are riddled with health problems. If you do go ahead make sure you get decent lifetime insurance and I wouldn't go below a limit of £7k a year.